Six McClatchey Elementary School fifth graders recently competed as a team in Destination Imagination’s Global event held in Kansas City. The STEAM program for K-12 and university students was started in Midlothian in 2016 by Kim Moss and Casey Nelson.
The fifth-grade team members from McClatchey Elementary are Hazel Cockerham, Daxon Dacus, Bryn Glover, Brooks Kokel, Kinsley Riggins, and Mikaila Winter. Camille Riggins, who teaches English at Heritage High School, has been their team manager for two years. The principal of McClatchey Elementary School is Alisha Cunningham.
Midlothian ISD also sent three other teams to Globals this year. Two teams competed in the Service Learning Challenge – the Hot Glue Fairy Crew and Action Interaction and one team competed in the Improv Challenge – the Doofus Ducks.
Destination Imagination Challenge
For the Destination Imagination event, Riggins said the students form teams, choose a challenge, and spend many months creating a set, writing a skit, and practicing instant challenges. They then go on to compete at a regional competition against teams in their particular challenge. If they place in the top two at regionals, they advance on to the state tournament to compete against other winning teams from all across the state.
At state, the top five teams in each challenge advance on to the Globals competition, which is comprised of the top teams from all over the world.
Super Sleuths’ Scientific Challenge
“Our team, the Super Sleuths have made it to Globals for the past two years in the elementary level Scientific challenge. Our challenge this year was: Create and present a story about a character whose discovery of an artifact leads to a finding. Include an archaeological investigation that contributes to the finding. Design and create a puppet that will portray a character from the past. Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents,” Riggins said.
“I have been blessed to work with this team for the past two years. I have watched them learn how to solve problems, complete challenges under pressure, interview and talk to adults, think creatively outside the box and work as a team cooperatively. They have learned how to win and how to lose with maturity and grace,” she said.
